In the foreword to her bio of Jean Rhys, Lilian Pizzichini writes: "In the summer of 1912 the French parfumier Jacques Guerlain concocted a scent from musk and rose de Bulgarie with a single note of jasmine. He intended his new scent, which he called L'Heure Bleue, to evoke dusk in the city. The blue hour is the time when heliotropes and irises in Parisian window boxes are bathed in a blue light and the well-groomed Parisienne prepares for the evening...Jean Rhys was always concerned with what lay beneath the top notes....The scent itself is dusky, as though bought from an old-world apothecary on a forgotten street in Paris. It's hints of pastry and almonds make L'Heure Bleue a melancholic fragrance, as though in mourning for a time passed by....L'Heure Bleue was her favorite perfume".
I wear L'Heure Bleue.
I am also quite captivated by another exquisite Guerlain creation, the wintery Mitsouko.
My mother wears Fidji by Guy Laroche, a succesful interpretation of the tropics, among others. My father wore the classic Pour Un Homme by Caron.
I wish DVF would reissue the first perfume I ever bought, the girly Tatiana introduced in 1975. The second perfume I invested in was the edgy Paloma by Paloma Picasso (I also LOVE the name of her fragrance for men, Minotaure. What a perfect name!) and later, preparing for boarding school, I carefully packed Paris--YSL's spirited ode to the rose--in my duffle.
Before all of that, Jovan Musk oil found at the drugstore would do, or any musky drugstore fragrance for that matter, along with Colonia Mennen for babies bought in Central American supermarkets. My kids use Colonia Mennen today albeit sparingly; it's, of course, full of alcohol and synthetic dyes and fragrance.
I was certified in aromatherapy and natural perfumery and admire all of Aftelier's blends. As far as essential oils go, neroli is a must on my vanity, along with jasmine, amber, sandalwood, rose and the multi-tasking lavender...Also on my vanity, a mini altar to the holy scents from Comme des Garcon's Series 3: Incense, especially Avignon and Kyoto.
I've been thinking of Salvadoran orchids because I am writing about my grandmother's legendary garden there. Orchids, especially cattleyas, were her favorite. In aromatherapy, vanilla is used to evoke the scent of orchids. El Salvador is plagued by orchids and vetiver grass.
I would like to be trained in perfumery technique and culture by Cinquieme Sens in Paris, but will settle for a workshop in New York.
Never underestimate the carnation.
